Join fellow Spark birders to welcome back the Spring breeding season. We will gather at Peter Alden's place at 4 pm in West Concord. First, we look for nearby birds as we walk to a new nest of Red-shouldered Hawks. This hawk species is far less common than the conspicuous Red-tailed Hawk. It is finely barred, with a white-banded tail and soft reddish shoulders. With a loud kee-yer call, it prefers to hunt frogs, snakes and other swamp creatures rather than small mammals by roadsides.
Next, return for a festive dinner and conversation at Peter Alden’s residence (menu below), including salad, dessert, and beverages. Towards sunset, we drive to a spot in Concord where we can observe the mating display of America's only nocturnal sandpiper and the only such that prefers to feed on earthworms in swamp forests. The American Woodcock is one of our most bizarre birds. It has a huge head, huge eyes and a very long bill with a flexible tip for snatching and slurping up its prey.
To attract females and keep other males off its defended territory it stakes out a grassy area near the woods at dusk. It flies straight up and then circles over its real estate and usually returns to the same spot, rests a minute, then repeats. They are rather trusting and can be seen from a car or by standing nearby. We will have a telescope and flashlight. Some of you might get a photo or two if your gear allows. One of its near relatives is a snipe, such that this will sort of be a snipe hunt!
Dinner Menu: Lightly panko-dusted Tilapia, mashed potatoes and cheezed broccoli. Starter salad with avocado and optional cashews, fried onions and Scotch Bonnet spicy cheese. Dessert of coconut ice cream with blueberries. Beverages: seltzer, cider, beer and wine included. Take a tour of Peter’s expansive "Library of the World” and its Wildlife.
All levels of birdwatching experience are welcome!
Arrive: 4:00 pm, 11 Riverside Avenue, Concord MA, 01742.
What to bring: Dress warmly, pending weather forecast . Bring binoculars, camera, jacket, water bottle, a snack.
NOTE: Please register as soon as possible as the event is limited to 10 participants.
